Pursued by the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Sports and Cultural Diplomacy Initiative is a government programme aimed at preventing the recruitment of minors from the country’s poorest regions by armed and criminal groups. By visiting a foreign country, the participants get a chance to experience the opportunities offered by living in a peaceful environment and having access to education. While training, they learn about the culture and everyday life of people living in a given country.

The project has been carried out in cooperation with partners from 53 countries. Based on a bilateral agreement between the Polish and the Colombian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Poland has taken part in the project since 2015. The Polish MFA has partnered with the Academic Sports Association at the University of Physical Education in Warsaw. 

This year’s young visitors to Poland under the sports diplomacy project are swimmers; their trainer is Paweł Słomiński, a recognised expert in the field. When they are not in training, the Colombians tour Warsaw and learn about Polish culture. Their homes in Colombia are in areas affected by a domestic armed conflict; for many, the visit to Poland is the first time they have ever travelled abroad.
The meeting was attended by Colombia’s Ambassador to Poland, HE Assad José Jater Peña. The Head of the Foreign Service wished the athletes a good stay in Poland and successful future careers in sports.

MFA Press Office